Archive for
December 21st, 2013

Charlotte Bobcats forward Jeffery Taylor is expected to miss the remainder of the season after an MRI this morning revealed a rupture in his right Achilles tendon. Taylor suffered the injury in the first minute of last night’s game at Detroit.

Taylor is expected to meet with foot specialist Dr. Bob Anderson in the coming days to determine the next steps.

Taylor saw action in 26 games for the Bobcats this season, starting eight. He averaged 8.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 24.2 minutes

Danny Granger’s absence for most of the past 18 months caused some angst among Indiana Pacers fans. They wondered how the team’s top player for so many years would fit in with a group that was doing quite nicely without him.

But no matter the misgivings, they showered him with love when he played for the first time this season during a 114-81 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Granger, who missed the first 25 games because of a calf strain, went to the scorer’s table along with Luis Scola to check in with about 4½ minutes left in the first quarter. The sellout crowd of 18,165 started cheering loudly and Area 55 — the fan section sponsored by teammate Roy Hibbert — started a “Danny, Danny” chant that quickly spread.

He got a standing ovation when he officially checked in with 4:05 remaining. He made his presence felt on the defensive end, coming from the weak side to block a shot by Houston’s Dwight Howard.

The Brooklyn Nets have assigned forward Tornike Shengelia and guard Tyshawn Taylor to the Springfield Armor of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Billy King.

In 11 games this season, Shengelia is averaging 1.9 points and 1.2 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per game. In 17 games (three starts) this season, Taylor is averaging 4.9 points and 2.1 assists in 14.6 minutes per game.

In 10 games (all starts) with the Armor during the 2012-13 D-League season, Shengelia averaged 24.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 36.6 minutes per game. In eight games (all starts) with the Armor last season, Taylor averaged 24.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 37.5 minutes per game.

Both players were previously assigned to Springfield during the Armor’s training camp and will join the team in advance of their game on Saturday at 7:00 pm against the Sioux Falls Skyforce at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has recalled guard Ian Clark and center Rudy Gobert from its NBA Development League (D-League) affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam. Both are expected to be available for the Jazz’s game Saturday at Charlotte Bobcats (5 p.m. MT, TV: ROOT Sports, Radio: 1280/97.5 The Zone).

In three games (all starts) with the Jam, Clark averaged 12.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 35.1 minutes. Gobert also appeared in three games (all starts) and averaged 14.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 4.3 blocks while shooting .750 (15-20) from the field in 30.8 minutes. They both began their assignment with the Jam on December 14.

A 6-3, 173-pound guard out of Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., Clark was named 2013 NBA Summer League Championship Game Most Valuable Player and was signed by the Jazz as an undrafted rookie free agent on July 29. The 22-year-old has appeared in eight games as a reserve for the Jazz, averaging 2.8 points in 8.8 minutes.

Gobert, a 7-1, 245-pound center, was a 2013 first-round draft pick (27th overall) whose rights the Jazz acquired in a draft-night trade with Denver that sent the Nuggets the rights to the 46th overall pick and cash considerations. The 21-year-old native of Saint Quentin, France, has made 17 appearances for the Jazz in a reserve role, averaging 2.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.82 blocks in 10.7 minutes.

Clark and Gobert became the seventh and eighth different players in Jazz history to be assigned to the D-League. Other players on the current Jazz roster with D-League experience include Jeremy Evans, Diante Garrett, Mike Harris and John Lucas III.

The Golden State Warriors have recalled guard Nemanja Nedovic from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League, the team announced today. He will be in uniform for tonight’s game versus the Los Angeles Lakers at Oracle Arena.

Last night, the rookie guard tallied 29 points (9-17 FG, 4-10 3FG, 7-7 FT), six assists, three rebounds and two steals in 42 minutes for Santa Cruz in a 108-123 loss at Bakersfield.

Nets center Brook Lopez has been diagnosed with a fractured fifth metatarsal of the right foot, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. The injury occurred during last night’s game against Philadelphia. The Nets will issue a further update next week after consultation with their team physicians.

Lopez previously fractured the same bone during the 2011-12 season and underwent surgery following the 2012-13 season to replace a bent screw in the foot.

It’s quite possible this means Lopez will miss the remainder of the season. That’s just speculation, though. InsideHoops.com will post an official update on how long Lopez will be out when it exists.

Lopez has played in 17 games this season, averaging a team-high 20.7 points along with 6.0 rebounds and 1.76 blocks per game.